Snapshots from Spain: Zumos from La Boqueria in Barcelona

After you pass all the Jamón Ibérico hanging (and stare, drool, study the butcher slicing away at one of the legs), the second thing you'll probably notice at La Boqueria, the bustling market hall in Barcelona, are the zumos. The bright, fresh juices are all lined up on crushed ice at the various fruit stalls.

What's the difference between "zumo" and "jugo"? They're technically the same thing—they both mean juice in Spanish. But from what I've been told, in Spain "zumo" refers to juice made with only fruit, nothing else added, whereas "jugo" is a more general term for juice. You'll see both terms used all over Spain. Now, if I had to pick the cooler-sounding of the two, that would be "zumo" (but that's coming from a lifelong fan of the letter "Z").

The zumos range from 1 to 2 Euros each. Flavors cover just about every fruit you've ever popped in your mouth: papaya, coconut, raspberry, kiwi, orange, lime, strawberry, banana, pitahaya (dragon fruit), mango, maracuya (passion fruit), blueberry, and blackberry. The thick (but still straw-friendly) texture confirms that this is in fact just fruit all whizzed up in a blender. No added sugar or funny business—just fresh, naked, drinkable fruit.

The Kiwi-Coconut-Banana was my favorite: cold and creamy, studded with black kiwi seed bits. First you taste the tangy kiwi then the milky coconut, then the buttery banana at the end.

La Boqueria

Print:

Filed Under:

About the Author

Since 2008, I've been working with our writers, editors, and community to make Serious Eats a more dynamic and delicious place. Originally from southern California, now a Brooklyn dweller who's always trawling for a ripe avocado.

Previewing your comment:

HTML Hints

Comment Guidelines

Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more in the Comment Policy section of our Terms of Use page.